Thread supply device for intermittent thread supply to textile machines

ABSTRACT

A thread supply device for intermittent thread supply to a textile machine, in particular a weaving loom, comprising a thread drum upon which the thread issuing from a storage bobbin can be wound up tangentially to form an intermediate storage and which can be unwound in a vertical direction. A thread transport element is associated with the thread drum and transports the thread windings axially along the thread drum if the tension in the infeed thread is sufficiently low to form an irregular thread skein consisting in part of two or more layers. A counter-cone, which is tapered contrary to the direction of transport of the thread transport element and which extends outwardly from the surface of the thread drum, is constructed as a sliding part and is journaled on the thread drum and can be displaced longitudinally thereon, being urged contrary to the direction of transport of the thread transport element by the action of a spring.

United States Patent 11 1 Rosn 1 THREAD SUPPLY DEVICE FOR INTERMITTENT THREAD SUPPLY TO TEXTILE MACHINES [75] Inventor: Karl Isac Joel Rosn, Hjo, Sweden [73] Assignee: Aktiebolaget IRO, Ulricehamn,

Sweden [22] Filed: Mar. 8, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 449,261

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Marv 13, 1973 Germany 2312508 [52] U.S. C1 242/47.12; 66/132 R; 139/122 R [51] Int. C1. B6511 51/20 [58] Field of Search 242/47.0147.13; 66/132 R; 139/122 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,131,729 5/1964 Lcysingcr 242/4713 X 3,41 1,548 11/1968 Pfzirrwallcr 242/4712 X 3,549,299 12/1970 Rosen 242/4712 3,637,149 1/1972 Frei 242/4712 X 3,717,312 2/1973 Roscn 242/4712 3,761,031 9/1973 Pfarrwallcr 242/4712 X 3,776,480 12/1973 Lawson 242/4712 X 3,791,598 2/1974 Vischiuni et a1, 242/4712 51 Sept. 9, 1975 3,796,386 3/1974 Tannert 242/4712 3,822,833 7/1974 Fecker 242/4712 3,834,635 9/1974 Pfarrwaller 242/4701 [57] ABSTRACT A thread supply device for intermittent thread supply to a textile machine, in particular a weaving 100m, comprising a thread drum upon which the thread issuing from a storage bobbin can be wound up tangentially to form an intermediate storage and which can be unwound in a vertical direction. A thread transport element is associated with the thread drum and transports the thread windings axially along the thread drum if the tension in the infeed thread is sufficiently low to form an irregular thread skein consisting in part of two or more layers. A counter-cone, which is tapered contrary to the direction of transport of the thread transport element and which extends outwardly from the surface of the thread drum, is constructed as a sliding part and is journaled on the thread drum and can be displaced longitudinally thereon, being urged contrary to the direction of transport of the thread transport element by the action of a spring.

7 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures THREAD SUPPLY DEVICE FOR INTERMITTENT THREAD SUPPLY TO TEXTILE MACHINES This invention relates to a thread supply device for intermittent thread supply to textile machines, in particular weaving looms, comprising a thread drum, upon which the thread issuing from a storage bobbin can be wound up tangentially to form an intermediate storage and which can be unwound in a vertical direction, further comprising a thread transport element which is associated with the thread drum and which transports the thread windings axially along the thread drum if the tension in the infeed thread is sufficiently low to form an irregular thread skein consisting in part of two or more layers, and further comprising a counter-cone which is tapered contrary to the direction of transport of the thread transport element and which extends outwardly from the surface of the thread drum.

As described earlier, the irregular thread skein loosens on the removal side (withdrawing side) of a thread supply device of the kind described hereinbefore so surprisingly that a single winding layer is formed from which the thread can be withdrawn at a very low and uniform tension. The counter-cone in the known device is designed as a unit integral with the thread drum and serves to support a braking ring. The thread skein does not come into contact with the counter-cone.

In another known device of the type described at the outset, the thread skein is formed in that the thread drum is tapered in the direction in which the thread windings are transported. The counter-cone, which again is designed with an integral construction with the thread drum, merely has the function of preventing the thread skein from sliding off the tapered section of the drum.

In the case of the known thread supply device, in particular the first one, a very low tension must be adjusted and maintained exactly in the thread supply in order to form a thread skein which becomes a single layer in the withdrawal area. If the tension in the infeed thread is not set with sufficient exactness or if large amounts of thread are withdrawn from the intermediate storage very quickly, as can be the case in weaving looms, one cannot say with certainty that certain thread sections will not be removed from a two or more layered area which would impair somewhat the uniformity of the tension in the unwinding thread.

This invention is based on the object of developing a thread supply device of the kind described at the outset such that the formation of a single-layered winding in the thread withdrawal area of the skein is ensured even if the infeed tension is not exactly adjusted and/or if large amounts of thread are removed from the intermediate storage very rapidly.

This object is accomplished in accordance with the invention in that the counter-cone is constructed as a sliding part which is journaled on the thread drum and can be displaced longitudinally thereon and which is urged contrary to the direction of transport of the thread transport element by the action of a spring.

The counter-cone, which is displaceable and which is urged by a spring in a direction opposite that in which the thread windings are transported, is pushed into the withdrawal area of the thread skein and spreads the thread windings outwardly in the withdrawal area along the surface of the cone. In so doing, the thread windings, which lie on the inside, which were the first to be wound up and which thus will be the first to be removed, are caught initially by the counter-cone and are stretched so that they come to lie outside the subsequent windings. This ensures that the thread skein in the withdrawal area consists of only one winding layer over a greater width from which even large amounts of thread can be removed rapidly with a very uniform tension during withdrawal.

In the case of a thread supply device whose thread drum includes longitudinal slots distributed over its circumference, the invention advantageously provides that the sliding part includes a ring encompassing the thread drum and teeth which project from the ring at an angle relative to the axis of the thread drum and which meashingly engage said longitudinal slots and whose surfaces, which face the thread skein, mutually form the counter-cone.

The teeth engaging the thread drum slots may abut on the thread skein from the inside of the skein so as to ensure that no thread windings are caught between the thread drum and the displaceable counter-cone.

A switching element for activating a switch in the supply circuit of the winding drive is expediently connected to the sliding part.

In the known thread supply devices, the intermediate thread supply is scanned either photoelectrically or by means of the thread transport element which is movably designed for this purpose. If one wants to make due with a mechanically simple, stationary thread transport element in the form of a cone or a stationary sliding ring, for example, and thus avoid the difficulties associated with photoelectric scanning, the use of the sliding part, which is movable in any case, for scanning the intermediate thread storage is particularly advantageous.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of an inventive thread supply device, part of which is shown in horizontal section, and

FIG. 2 is a partial section through the thread drum of the thread supply device according to FIG. I.

[n the drawing, 1 indicates a thread drum comprising longitudinal slots 2 distributed over the circumference thereof. The thread drum 1 is rigidly mounted in a housing 3. It is coaxially traversed by a hollow shaft 4 with a thread diverting ring 5 nonrotably mounted thereon and surrounding the free edge of the thread drum 1. A winding eye 6 is secured in the thread diverting ring 5. The hollow shaft 4 can be set in rotation by a motor 7 via a belt drive 8 and an electromagnetic clutch 9.

Connected to the free edge of the drum 1, a sliding ring 10 is wedged onto the outer race of a ball bearing which is in turn mounted on an inclined hub on the hollow shaft.

A sliding part II is provided adjacent the opposite end of the thread drum 1 and comprises a ring 11a surrounding surround the thread drum 1 and ofa plurality of teeth 11b corresponding to a plurality of slots 2. The teeth 11b meshingly engage the longitudinal slots 2 so that the sliding part ll is slidingly guided in engagement in the longitudinal direction of the thread drum 1 by means of these teeth and of the ring closely surrounding the circumference of the thread drum 1. The surfaces llc of the teeth 1 lb which face the sliding ring 10 forming a thread transport element and which are inclined relative to the sliding ring 10 with respect to the imaginary drum axis A, form parts of a conical surface which in its entirety constitutes a counter-cone which tapers towards the sliding ring 10. The surfaces 11c can be rounded off or straight corresponding to cut-outs from a rotational conical surface.

Ram rods 12, one of which is shown in FIG. 1, are distributed over the periphery and engage the sliding part 11. These ram rods are slidingly guided in a wall of the housing 3 and are urged by tension springs 13 such that they attempt to urge the sliding part 11 in the direction of the sliding ring 10. A switching element 14 is secured to the ram rod 12 and co-acts with a switch 15 in a control circuit 16 for controlling the electromagnetic clutch 9. The mode of operation of the invention is as follows:

The thread F issuing from a storage bobbin (not shown) passes through a thread braking means 17 and is then conducted into the hollow shaft 4. It emerges therefrom at the remote end of the thread drum and is diverted radially toward the winding eye 6. In the vicinity of the rotating thread diverting ring 5, the thread is wound up on the circumference of the stationary thread drum 1 by means of the winding eye 6. The sliding ring 10 executes a wobbling movement while the hollow shaft rotates due to its inclined arrangement on said shaft and, in doing so, displaced the newly woundup thread windings in the direction of the arrow P in FIG. 2. If the thread braking means 17 is adjusted to be sufficiently loose, the windings are slid one upon the other so that an intermediate thread storage is formed on the thread drum 1 in the form of a loose and irregularly wound thread skein K which comprises one or more layers in parts.

Due to the action of the spring, the sliding part 11 is urged in the direction of the arrow P so that its teeth llb extend below and behind the thread skein K. As FIG. 2 clearly illustrates, the thread windings are stretched radially so that a single-layered thread winding W is formed on the surfaces 11c of the teeth 11b forming the counter-cone.

The thread is unwound from this single-layered winding area W and, as is evident in FIG. 1 at F, passes over the thread diverting ring through a withdrawal eye 18 arranged coaxially to the thread drum 1 in order to reach the textile machine, in particular a weaving loom.

The sliding part 11 at the same time serves to scan the size of the intermediate thread storage formed by the skein K. If this is too small, the ram rod 12 moves downwardly due to the pull exerted by the spring 13 far enough, as illustrated in FIG. I, to cause the switch 15 to be actuated, thereby engaging the clutch 9 and actuating the winding drive. If the intermediate thread storage exceeds an upper limit, the switching element 14 is disengaged from the switch 15 and stops the winding drive in this manner.

This invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated in the drawing. In particular, it can also be applied to a thread supply device with a rotating drum to which the thread is fed tangentially. In this case, the sliding part 11 and the sliding ring rotate together with the drum, the sliding ring executing no wobbling motion, but rather being continuously maintained in a plane which is inclined in relation to the stationary drum shaft. Other thread transport elements may also be employed instead of the sliding ring 10 as well, for example a transport cone. Furthermore, the switch may be arranged directly in the supply circuit of the drive motor 7.

What is claimed is:

1. ln a thread supply device for intermittent thread supply to a textile machine, in particular a weaving loom, comprising thread drum means upon which a thread issuing from a storage bobbin can be wound up tangentially to form an intermediate thread storage comprising several thread windings, and thread transport means associated with the drum means for displacing the thread windings of said storage axially along the drum means if the tension in the infeed thread is suffrciently low to form an irregular thread storage comprising at least in part of two or more layers, the improvement comprising cone means associated with and extending outwardly from the surface of said drum means, said cone means having a surface adapted to engage said thread windings which is tapered inwardly toward the surface of said drum means and which extends axially of said drum means in a direction opposite to the displacement direction of said thread windings by said transport means, said cone means being slidably displaceable relative to said drum means in the axial direction thereof, and biasing means coacting with said cone means for urging same axially of said drum means in said direction opposite to the displacement direction of said thread winding by said transport means.

2. A thread supply device according to claim 1, wherein said transport means includes a ring positioned in surrounding relationship to the surface of said drum means and disposed at an angle which is tilted with respect to the axis of said drum means, whereby said transport ring displaces the thread windings axially along the surface of said drum means in a first direction, and wherein said cone means includes a ringlike member disposed in surrounding relationship to the surface of said drum means and having said tapered surface thereof, said tapered surface being substantially connical and extending in a direction whereby it is inclined radially inwardly toward the surface of said drum means while simultaneously extending axially of said drum means in a second direction which is opposite said first direction, the intermediate thread storage as formed on said drum means being located between said transport ring and said ringlike member, said ringlike member causing at least some of the thread windings in said intermediate thread storage as disposed in engagement with said tapered surface to form a single layer.

3. A thread supply device according to claim 2, wherein said biasing means includes spring means coacting with said ringlike member for normally urging same in said second direction.

4. A thread supply device according to claim 1, wherein said drum means has a plurality of longitudinally extending slots formed therein and distributed circumferentially therearound, and said cone means including a ring disposed in surrounding relationship to and slidably supported on said drum means, said ring having a plurality of teeth which project inwardly from said ring at a nonperpendicular'angle relative to the axis of said drum means, said teeth extending into said slots for supporting said ring on said drum means for axial slidable movement therebetween, and said teeth having exterior surfaces thereon which face the intermediate thread storage and which form a substantially conical surface.

5. A thread supply device according to claim 4, wherein said biasing means includes spring means coacting with said ring for normally slidably urging same axially of said drum in a direction toward said intermediate thread storage.

6. A thread supply device according to claim 5, including winding means for winding thread on said drum means when the thread supply falls below a preselected amount, and switch means for activating said winding means, said switch means being interconnected and activated by said ring when same is displaced axially of said drum means in said opposite direction a sufficient extent to indicate that the intermediate thread supply 

1. In a thread supply device for intermittent thread supply to a textile machine, in particular a weaving loom, comprising thread drum means upon which a thread issuing from a storage bobbin can be wound up tangentially to form an intermediate thread storage comprising several thread windings, and thread transport means associated with the drum means for displacing the thread windings of said storage axially along the drum means if the tension in the infeed thread is sufficiently low to form an irregular thread storage comprising at least in part of two or more layers, the improvement comprising cone means associated with and extending outwardly from the surface of said drum means, said cone means having a surface adapted to engage said thread windings which is tapered inwardly toward the surface of said drum means and which extends axially of said drum means in a direction opposite to the displacement direction of said thread windings by said transport means, said cone means being slidably displaceable relative to said drum means in the axial direction thereof, and biasing means coacting with said cone means for urging same axially of said drum means in said direction opposite to the displacement direction of said thread winding by said transport means.
 2. A thread supply device according to claim 1, wherein said transport means includes a ring positioned in surrounding relationship to the surface of said drum means and disposed at an angle which is tilted with respect to the axis of said drum means, whereby said transport ring displaces the thread windings axially along the surface of said drum means in a first direction, and wherein said cone means includes a ringlike member disposed in surrounding relationship to the surface of said drum means and having said tapered surface thereof, said tapered surface being substantially connical and extending in a direction whereby it is inclined radially inwardly toward the surface of said drum means while simultaneously extending axially of said drum means in a second direction which is opposite said first direction, the intermediate thread storage as formed on said drum means being located between said transport ring and said ringlike member, said ringlike member causing at least some of the thread windings in said intermediate thread storage as disposed in engagement with said tapered surface to form a single layer.
 3. A thread supply device according to claim 2, wherein said biasing means includes spring means coacting with said ringlike member for normally urging same in said second direction.
 4. A thread supply device according to claim 1, wherein said drum means has a plurality of longitudinally extending slots formed therein and distributed circumferentially therearound, and said cone means including a ring disposed in surrounding relationship to and slidably supported on said drum means, said ring having a plurality of teeth which project inwardly from said ring at a nonperpendicular angle relative to the axis of said drum means, said teeth extending into said slots for supporting said ring on said drum means for axial slidable movement therebetween, and said teeth having exterior surfaces thereon which face the intermediate thread storage and which form a substantially conical surface.
 5. A thread supply device according to claim 4, wherein said biasing means includes spring means coacting with said ring for normally slidably urging same axially of said drum in a direction toward said intermediate thread storage.
 6. A thread supply device according to claim 5, including winding means for winding thread on said drum means when the thread supply falls below a preselected amount, and switch means for activating said winding means, said switch means being interconnected and actiVated by said ring when same is displaced axially of said drum means in said opposite direction a sufficient extent to indicate that the intermediate thread supply is less than said preselected amount.
 7. A thread supply device according to claim 1, including winding drive means for causing a thread to be wound on said drum means when the intermediate thread supply falls below a preselected amount, switch means for activating said winding drive means, and means coacting between said cone means and said switch means for causing activation of said winding drive means when said cone means is displaced a sufficient extent to indicate that the intermediate thread supply is being depleted. 